The Institute of Theoretical and Applied Geophysics (ITAG) at School of Earth and Space Sciences (SESS), Peking University was established in October 2001 when Department of Geophysics, Department of Geology, and the Center for Remote Sensing jointed together to form the SESS. While being a relatively new program, the long-term vision/objective is to turn ITAG into an internationally recognized geophysics program, which not only produces excellent students with potential becoming top-niche scientists but also conducts high quality researches. To achieve this objective efforts have been focused on (a) attracting talented scientists, (b) improving observational facility, and (c) establishing a democratic system that involves all faculties.

Currently, ITAG¡¯s faculty includes 4 associate professors and 6 professors, including 2 ¡°Chang Jiang¡± chair professors. Half of the 10-teaching faculty received their Ph.D. degrees outside of China (two from US, one from UK, and two from Japan), and particularly all these faculty joined the program within the past 10 years. Research areas of the faculty cover almost all of the currently active areas of geophysics:
Theoretical seismology and physics of the earth¡¯s interior
Seismotectonics and geodynamics
Earthquake physics
Exploration geophysics
Earthquake engineering
Marine geophysics and plate tectonics

ITAG currently has 15 staff, 3 postdoc, and 40+ graduate students (half MS and half Ph.D.). ITAG¡¯s faculty has kept close contact with the international earth science community and its active program has attracted many international scientists for short or long visits boosting active exchange between ITAG at Peking University and international community.